Process of treating silk.



i .NITE STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

FREDERICK JOOHEN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO J OOHEN SILKIVEIGHTING COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., A COR- PORATION OF NEIV YORK.

PROCESS OF TREATING SILK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,218, dated June 13,1905. Application filed October 8, 1904. Serial No. 227,635.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JooHEN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofTreating Silk, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to and has for its object improvements in themethod of treating silk. The greater part of all silks are now weightedwith tin or other metallic or mineral salts. IV hen mineral and metallicweighting materials are precipitated upon the silk fiber asmicroscopically-iine grains or crystals, they have a cutting or chafingaction on the fiber and damage or weaken it more or less by the frictionto which the silk is exposed in the spooling, winding, and weavingprocesses and by the subsequent use.

The object of my invention is to overcome the deteriorating effect ofthe weighting, and I accomplish this object by first treating the silkby metallic or mineral salts in the usual manner, then washing it, thentreating it by an alkaline bath containing both casein and phosphate ofsoda, and then washing it,whereby the weight of the silk is increasedand greater durability imparted to it.

In carrying out my process the silk which is to be weighted is first putthrough a bath of bichlorid of tin or other metal salt and then wrungand washed in the usual way. The washed silk is treated by a slightlyalkaline bath of phosphate of soda of about Baum, to which sufficientcasein is added to bring it up to 7 or 8 Baum. The bath is to be kept atthe full strength by adding phosphate of soda and casein in the properproportion as needed, and its temperature is, by preference, keptbetween 130 and 15O Fahrenheit. After the treatment with the alkalinesolution the silk is again washed and wrung out. The treatment of thesilk with metallic salt and subsequently by the alkaline solution ofcasein and sodium phosphate may be repeated in the same order until thedesired effect is produced.

In place of the casein equivalent albuminous substances may be usedsuchas alkaline solution of egg albumen, blood albumen, plant albumen, &c.The bath is tested with the hydrometer after each passage, and as manypasses may be given as are now generally given under the old processes.

By my process a considerable percentage of the casein becomes fixed onthe previouslyweighted fiber, the thread is swelled, and its weight,pliability, and durability are increased. The silk retains its feelabsolutely, has a higher luster than hitherto obtained, and is inexcellent condition for working, spooling, winding, weaving, 620. Silkwhen thus weighted will take dyes almost the same as pure silk, and itdoes away with the difficulty which the dyers now experience inobtaining even and uniform colors, especially of dark and full shades insilks weighted with metallic salts only.

If it should be desired to dye black, I use the salts of iron instead ofbichlorid of tin, but otherwise proceed exactly as above described andachieve the same results.

I am aware that casein has been used in the process of preparing silk,also that sodium phosphate has been used; but these materials have not,before my invention, been applied together and in the mannerspecifiedthat is, not by first weighting the silk by a metallic salt ormetallic salts, such as bichlorid of tin, and then after wringing andwashing treating the silk by an alkaline bath containing both casein andsodium phosphate, by which latter process superior results are obtained.No precipitation is formed in an alkaline bath containing casein andsodium phosphate; but in carrying out my invention a precipitation isformed by this alkaline bath upon silk previously treated by bichloridof tin or other metal salt or salts and this previous deposit changed inits nature.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The process of treatingsilk which consists in first subjecting the same to the action of ametal-salt bath in the usual manner, then washing the silk, thentreating it in a bath consisting of an alkaline solution of an albulbichlorid in the usual manner, then washing minous substance ancl sodiumphosphate, and the silk, then treating it in a bath consisting thenagain washing it. of an alkaline solution of casein and sodium 2. Theprocess of treating silk which conphosphate, and then again washing it.5 5 sists in first subjecting the silk to a rnetal- Signed at Nos. 9 to15 Murray street, New salt bath in the usual manner, then washing York,N. Y., this 7th clay of October, 1904:.

the silk, then treating it in a bath consisting r a 1 of an alkalinesolution of casein and socliuin TR UL db IOLHLL phosphate, and thenagain Washing it. Witnesses:

I 3. The process of treating silk, which con- CHAS. LYON RUssELL,

sists in first treating the silk in a bath of tin JOHN 0. Seminar.

